Innovative new pilot bringing together the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime with the capital’s police and health services.

A new service is launching in London today to help thousands of people with mental health problems who come into contact with the capital’s front line police officers every year.

Under the innovative new scheme, police officers now have access to 24 hour telephone support from mental health professionals to help them make decisions about vulnerable people, improve the overall experience of people in mental health crisis, and reduce unnecessary police involvement where health provision is more appropriate. It is hoped that round-the-clock access to trained mental health professionals could also improve the use of section 136; a police power under the mental health act to take a person to a place of safety.

NHS England (London), the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), the Metropolitan Police Service, and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) are working together to pilot the Mental Health Police Triage Service for London. The service has been developed in response to a number of concerns around policing and mental health that culminated in Lord Victor Adebowale’s Independent Commission on Mental Health and Policing, which highlighted the negative experiences of many mentally ill people in the justice system.

Similar to the London Liaison and Diversion pilot scheme launched earlier this year, which places mental health professionals in police stations and courts, it is hoped that this new scheme will help police officers out on the street to assist individuals earlier and more effectively, thus accessing appropriate support for people in mental health crisis.

The new triage service provides direct access to mental health professionals for officers working across four boroughs; Lambeth, Lewisham, Croydon and Southwark. The service is being delivered by SLaM, which provides mental health services in the area and currently has London’s highest rate of detention under section 136 of the Mental Health Act.

Using the Mental Health Police Triage scheme, an officer attending a call out to a person in crisis is able to telephone a mental health professional directly, at any time of the day or night to receive expert advice on how to assess and handle the situation. If the person in crisis is already receiving mental health support, relevant information will be shared with the officers to aid their decision making and response. In addition, in Lambeth and Southwark the scheme will also provide mental health professionals to accompany officers to mental health related calls outs to carry out face to face assessments and assist the officers in their direct management of the situation.

Scott Hillier, 40, has been under the care of professionals at SLaM for the past 12 years, with some interaction with police officers. He said: “As a service user I think this new scheme is a fantastic idea. I have bipolar disorder and when I am in crisis I have had episodes that have involved contact with the police. The police have done what they can but obviously they are not mental health professionals so sometimes I would have to wait in a cell until the appropriate care professional was contacted.

“This is a great way of reaching out to people on the street, at times of crisis and when they are most in need. It is something that I think a lot of people with mental health problems will really benefit from.”

Kate Davies OBE, NHS England Head of Public Health, Armed Forces and their Families and Health and Justice Commissioning said: “Many people who come into contact with the police have not committed a crime but are simply ill, and they are often going through some of the most difficult times in their lives. This scheme is about supporting police officers to make the right decisions about how to manage these situations, whether that means taking somebody to a place of safety or assisting them in the community with the help of a mental health professional.”

Commander Christine Jones, MPS and national lead for mental health, said: “Mental Health is a core issue for policing in London.

“With one in four people likely to face a mental health issue and up to 40 per cent of all our work relating to people with mental health vulnerability in the capital, we recognise the need for effective, multi-agency responses to people in crisis.

“The Mental Health Police Triage Service for London is a great example of how the Met and partners are working hard to improve how we respond to those with mental ill health, and supports our commitment to better serve all our communities, including those who seek our help as a result of mental ill health.

“Our officers recognise better now than ever that people who have mental ill health issues need the right access to help and support services. The Triage Service aims to help us deal more efficiently and effectively with people in crisis, ensuring access to the right support quickly.

“We hope the initiative will improve the use of Section 136, and ensure those detained under the power are not taken to a police station, as a place of safety should be provided by health partners.”

Dr Matthew Patrick, Chief Executive, SLaM said: “I am delighted that SLaM has been chosen as the first NHS Trust in London to pilot this important initiative. It is a positive step forward for our patients and our relationship with the Metropolitan Police.

“It is the first time that police in our boroughs have had direct and rapid access to mental health professionals who are able to respond immediately and offer advice.

“Rather than removing patients from the street (Section 136) unnecessarily, nurses can advise police on other options such as direct referral to our community mental health teams – where patients are already known to SLaM services – or attending A&E where it appears the person’s presentation requires physical health assessment.  Although it is early days, we can see that the pilot has had a direct effect on reducing the number of people being detained under Section 136 and is providing patients with better access to the care they need as quickly as possible.”

Marie Snelling, Director of Integrated Offender Management, Programmes and Neighbourhoods from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime said: “It is a pressing priority to ensure that individuals suffering with mental ill health receive appropriate and professional care sensitive to their needs if they come into contact with the police. This innovative pilot has been commissioned by MOPAC to bring key agencies together for the first time in this way, to support frontline police officers and to find practical solutions to address the complex issues that arise when this happens, and in response to the findings of Lord Adebowale’s excellent report.”

Lord Victor Adebowale, Chief Executive of Turning Point and Chair of the Independent Commission on Mental Health and Policing said: “I am pleased to see the Commission’s recommendations being implemented. This is a much needed development and a step in the right direction towards parity of response for people in crisis. As the commission’s report made clear we need all agencies to work together to ensure that people in crisis get the support they need, the police cannot do this alone.

My hope is that lessons from London will be shared and the successes replicated across the country to ensure an excellent response to those in crisis, wherever they may be.”

Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb said: “I am delighted that the Mental Health Police Triage Service pilot scheme in London is being launched today.

“I want to build a fairer society and that’s why I am determined that we get better mental health care. Making sure people with mental health problems get the right assessment, care and treatment they need as quickly as possible is vital, especially in emergency situations. By providing the support of health professionals to the Metropolitan Police we can give officers the skills they need to support and treat vulnerable people in the capital in times of crisis.”

FILMING OPPORTUNITY – NOT FOR PUBLICATION

Date:     Tuesday 8^th July 2014
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